Protecting Painted Dogs

Eight tiny painted dog puppies were rescued by our partners in Zimbabwe, after they carried out a challenging mission to dig the family out of their den - deep underground. 

The team at the DSWF funded Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) were called out to save the pups, after disgruntled villagers in Phindo reported that the adults had been killing their livestock.

The PDC rescue workers located the den and laid traps for the parents overnight. As dawn broke, the team set about digging down through seven metres of earth to reach the pups, which were brought to safety.

The eight three-week-old pups are now settling into their new temporary home at the PDC centre. The family will stay there for three to four months, before the process begins of returning them to the wild where they belong.

This is a fantastic success story and thanks in part to your on-going commitment to saving painted dogs – thank you!

Painted dogs – or African wild dogs - are unique to Africa and are among the continent's most endangered species. Fewer than 3-5,000 of the animals survive in viable populations in just four countries. Since the PDC project began in 1992, dog numbers have risen from 400 to approximately 750 in Zimbabwe today.

DSWF funds PDC’s work with communities in Zimbabwe to conserve the species in one of its last strongholds. DSWF funds vital anti-poaching work and education programmes to encourage tolerance for the dogs from local communities and land owners. 

Look out for our future updates on how YOUR donations are helping to save this endangered species.

Click here to find out more about our work protecting painted dogs.